Exposed: Abuse, Cruelty at Sheep-Shearing Operations in US and Australia

Sheep are deprived of food and water, sometimes overnight, in part so that they'll put up less resistance when shearers handle them roughly. (photo: PETA)

Undercover investigations by the animal-rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) show abuse and cruelty taking place at sheep-shearing operations in the U.S. and Australia.

As reported byNBC News, workers in Australia "kicked, stomped or stood on animals’ heads necks and hind limbs, while workers for eight contractors punched or struck sheep with clippers. One worker allegedly beat a lamb over the head with a hammer. Workers for five contractors allegedly threw sheep and or slammed their heads and bodies against floors."

In the U.S., "a PETA investigator worked undercover for a sheep shearing company for seven weeks between mid-March and mid-May 2014," according to NBC's reporting. "The investigator went to 25 ranches in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Nebraska while working for the shearing company and alleged that he witnessed animal cruelty by three shearers for the company and two ranchers at 14 of the ranches where the company worked."

The allegations are supported by photographs and video footage (warning: graphic and disturbing images), obtained by undercover PETA operatives over the last 12 months (see below).

The revelations underscore the importance of such undercover investigations, which are under attack from "ag-gag" laws in eight states (and counting) that make it illegal for journalists or activists to make or distribute unauthorized audio/visual recordings of what goes on within agricultural facilities.

"One of the questions I ask is with the up close shot of the man hitting the sheep, which is obviously exceptional and cruel and in many instances would be immediate dismissal, where exactly was the camera?" he said to ABC Australia. "Did the person know that they were filmed? Were they actually part of process? There are lots of questions that need to be asked."

In the wake of the exposé, PETA “is calling on shoppers around the world to reject cruelty to animals—and that means never buying wool,” said PETA president Ingrid E. Newkirk.

Warning: The following video contains graphic material.

_____________________

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Further

Lord, what would John Lennon have made of the Trump monster? Marking Thursday's 36th anniversary of Lennon's murder, Yoko Ono posted a plea for gun control, calling his death "a hollowing experience" and pleading, "Together, let's bring back America, the green land of Peace." With so many seeking solace in these ugly times, mourns one fan, "Oh John, you really should be here." Lennon conceded then, and likely would now, "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."